President Address Iranian People with Nowruz Message

March 21, 2012, Washington, D.C. - As he has done on previous occasions, in his 2012 Nowruz message, President Barak Obama congratulated Iranian Americans as well as Iranians throughout the world. He noted that “Iranian Americans prosper and contribute greatly to our culture,” and also recognized the Iranian film, “A Separation”, for receiving the Academy Award for best foreign film. Yet the primary focus of the President’s message was the Islamic Republic of Iran’s continued effort to restrict information to the Iranian people. The President stated, “Because of the actions of the Iranian regime, an electronic curtain has fallen around Iran – a barrier that stops the free flow of information.” The barriers President Obama was referring to are the Iranian government’s jamming of television broadcasts, internet filtering, and blocking of access to popular websites such as Facebook and Twitter. In his speech, President Obama further stated, “The United States of America seeks a future of deeper connections between our people – a time when the electronic curtain that divides us is lifted and your voices are heard.”